In 1969, Scientific Lighting Products (SLP) began when Koller Enterprises, Inc. bought the plastic louver business, MSL Industries. SLP started with three different louvers and, based on customer needs, has expanded and refined the offering to a total of 10 plastic louver styles, metal louvers and weatherproof enclosures over the past 52 years.    

Early on, the metallized plastic louvers were produced under contract by a molder in Massachusetts. To control quality and costs, in 1978, SLP decided to bring the molding and metallizing in-house. A facility was built, and a deal was struck with the Massachusetts contractor to buy their metallizing equipment and expertise. Over the next 43 years, additional metallizing, molding and painting equipment were purchased; and, two major additions were built to keep up with the ever-growing demands of our customers.    

Aluminum/Metal manufacturing started in 1984, when Koller Enterprises bought tooling, equipment and a license from Zumtobel in Austria to form Rokason. The first product made was the 1.25” aluminum louver. In time, additional tooling and equipment was purchased to include 1.5” and 3.0” aluminum louvers. SLP has since expanded the capabilities with turret presses, mesh welders, roll formers and press brakes to meet growing customer needs.

Knowing that the US represented only 20% of the world lighting market in the early 1990s, SLP decided to go international. A key part was played in 1994 when SLP UK was formed as a subsidiary in England. This allowed SLP to gain a solid foothold in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, India and the Eastern Block while the US expanded into Southeast Asia, Australia, and Central and South America to become a major player in the global market.

Today SLP shows all over the world: Light+Building in Frankfurt, India Light Fair in Delhi, Middle East Show in Dubai, Indonesian Power in Jakarta, LightFair USA in New York/Las Vegas and the Intex Show in the USA.

Innovation

As the needs of our customers grew, SLP responded. T8 and T5 lamps were becoming more prevalent, and the industry was tired of the same old weatherproof enclosures, so SLP found and developed a new model with better performance: the Citadel 2. The Citadel 2 is still one of the fastest growing products and has become the industry standard for weatherproof enclosures.

SLP saw the growth of the T5 lamp in Europe and how the lamp was utilized. Most used aluminum louvers which are easily damaged and inconsistent due to the process. SLP decided to develop a product around the lamp which solved the problem of efficiency and durability: the Hi-Cell. Developed with 42 partners in the UK and utilizing our injection molding and metallizing capabilities and expertise, the highly efficient louver has an 80% Light Output Ratio (LOR) with a durable and highly repeatable finish.    

The Citadel 4 was the next big addition. Many in the lighting industry needed the durability of the weatherproof enclosures with the light output of the fluorescent high bays at a competitive price. SLP worked hard to blend the two concepts into an IP rated enclosure that delivers the high light output while keeping the cost reasonable.

SLP recognized the significance and rapid growth of LED and followed a two-prong approach: modify the current product to work with LEDs and develop a new product for LEDs.

SLP has since developed three new products designed strictly around LEDs: CircLED, CT-Round and the Profile.

The CircLED is an innovative round fixture to use as an alternative to the heavy and cumbersome UFO fixtures in the market. The CircLED uses a lightweight, thermally conductive material to achieve superior light output and thermal characteristics at half the weight of the aluminum fixtures in the market.

The CT-Round continues the excellence of the Citadel family of vapor proof enclosures using a new patent pending design for securing the lens and the housing: the Pinsert.

The Profile offers customers a sleek and elegant design that can be used anywhere from offices to stores to industrial facilities. The Profile is a versatile design with many color options. 

As a commitment to our customers, SLP continues to reinvest heavily in research and development along with the very latest technology in our plants, for a continued stream of new products, quality and cost control. This enables SLP to assist our customers in meeting the everyday challenges in an ever-changing global marketplace.

Constant Improvement

As part of the Koller Enterprises family, SLP continuously improves itself. We have grown our customer service, R&D, and manufacturing over the years. Our certified molding plant is always concentratingon our quality. Through constant lean projects and the ISO9001:2015 certification of our molding plant, we make sure that our costs are always fair and accurate with the high-quality products and service that our customers have come to know and rely upon.

#NationalTriviaDay Answer:

1. Sullivan, Missouri
2. Passaic, New Jersey